Which Zoo to Visit

I have 4 full days to spare with my own transport. I intend to visit a Zoo. Which is the best option?

Other than theme park where else can I go for local sightseeing?

Thank you very much.

Annie's Answer

Great question, as a lot of people think there is a zoo on the Gold Coast, but there actually isn't.

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Brisbane had a zoo called Alma Park Zoo, which closed in 2014. The animals were moved further north to the Queensland Zoo on the Sunshine Coast.

The more famous zoo is Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin fame) and it is located in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast at Beerwah, which is a good 2 plus hours drive from Surfers Paradise. Australia Zoo has a range of animals from around the world (they have some African Safari animals) and of course the Australian favourites - kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, emus and crocodiles. They run various shows and feedings during the day and have some great behind the scenes tours if you are interested in that.

On the Gold Coast itself, there is Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which has a host of Australian animals and birds. You can feed kangaroos and emus by hand, cuddle a koala, watch snake shows, bird shows and watch the amazing bird feedings in the early morning or in the late afternoon.

If you are driving yourself, you could head up to Mt Coot-Tha in Brisbane for a great view of the whole area, there is a Planetarium and Botanical Gardens there too. Or a river cruise in Brisbane to see the sights.

On the Gold Coast, you could head up to Mt Tamborine, Lamington Plateau or Springbrook National Park to see our rainforest and animals. There's the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk - which sounds really interesting - haven't been there yet, but on my list! Also on Mt Tamborine at Eagle Heights they have Gallery Walk with interesting arts and crafts, restaurants and cafes. Quite different from the Gold Coast.

A great way to see the Gold Coast is to go on a boat cruise, you can cruise the canals, head out to South Stradbroke Island for the day, or up to Sanctuary Cove for lunch.

The options of things to do and see around the Gold Coast is pretty huge. I hope that gives you a taste of things you can see and do.

Hope that was helpful. You can leave any further questions or comments below. If you found this helpful, you can Like it, Tweet it and share on Facebook ;-) Thanks for spreading the word...Cheers

Annie RettieGold Coast Australia Travel Tips - Owner

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PS:: If you are looking to save time and money on your theme park entry tickets, it is worth while buying them ahead of time as then you can join the Pre-Paid queue and present your vouchers. Here are the latest deals for Gold Coast theme parks.

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